


Skin Deep

by whoaaitsmichele



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 18:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9197636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoaaitsmichele/pseuds/whoaaitsmichele
Summary: Philip Week Day 2: Soulmates





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's a day late, but enjoy!

When Philip was young he always imagined meeting his soulmate. He knew one day he would and it would be the most magical feeling, knowing he had someone to love and be loved in return. 

His mother told him to never give up hope; he would find that special someone. The soulmate mark would appear on his wrist on the day he met them.

When he was 15, he realized that he was different from most boys he went to school with. They would talk about girls like how his mom would talk about one of her many boyfriends.

Philip realized he didn't like girls that way. 

He tried to imagine even trying to kiss a girl and felt uncomfortable at the thought.

Coming out as gay to his mom was easy. She loved him inside and out, and told him that he was still the most wonderful boy. He smiled at the comment, before frowning at the thought of telling anyone else.

He didn't want them to know. The very thought sent him into a panic attack the next day. Anne found him in the bathroom with the door ajar, the sink faucet on while he was curled up in the tub.

His mother managed to calm him down and reminded him he didn't need to tell anyone until he was ready.

Her words soothed him, but he definitely wasn't ready for what would happen in the future. 

-

**Four Months Later**

“Hey Lukas!” The tall blond teen turned away from his locker to find his friend Tommy walking towards him. He wore a smirk on his face and Lukas shifted under his gaze. Tommy smirking could only mean one thing and it wasn’t good.

“What’s up?” he asked, slamming his locker shut. He watched as Tommy looked beyond him, and Lukas’ curiosity got the best of him. He turned around and saw the person his friend was looking at.

There was a boy. Shorter than him and skinny. He was wearing a brown jacket that was practically smothering him. 

“New kid. Fresh meat,” Tommy stated, looking at the stranger with an evil glint in his eye.

Lukas rolled his eyes, not wanting to be in the middle of a fight. “Just leave the kid alone Tommy.”

His friend grinned, before turning his eyes away from smaller teen. “Fine whatever,” he scoffed, “I have better things to do anyway.”

Lukas rolled his eyes, following Tommy down the hallway in the direction of the new kid and watched as he closed his own locker. He looked skittish and Lukas frowned. 

Tommy shoulder checked the smaller student as he passed and Lukas watched as the kid dropped all of his books, looking nervous and frazzled. 

Lukas sighed as his friend walked away, laughing down the hallway before turning to the brunet in front of him.

He was beautiful.

Lukas felt his mouth drop open as he looked at the guy. 

“I would close your mouth. You’ll catch flies,” a sarcastic voice told him and he realized the words came out of the new kid. 

Lukas automatically closed his mouth and rolled his eyes. “Ha ha,” he replied, trying to gather his thoughts. 

“I’m Philip.” 

Lukas watched as he lifted out his hand for a handshake and Lukas stuck out of his hand. 

“Lukas,” he responded, gripping his hand.

They both got a shock as their hands came in contact and they jumped back in alarm.

They looked at each other with trepidation, knowing what this meant but not wanting to believe it.

Lukas didn’t believe in soulmates. After his mom died, he thought the idea was just a dumb myth. He should be able to fall in love with who he wanted to. There shouldn’t be some force that aligns people together through some system. 

Philip on the other hand, felt like his life was finally going to begin. He stared at Lukas, waiting for him to say something. Anything.

But Lukas just mumbled something about getting to class and ran down the hall, leaving Philip feeling like something was ripped out of his chest. 

The soulmate mark on his wrist was burning.

-

“Are you not hungry?” Philip’s foster father asked him at dinner that night. Philip looked up from his plate, taking note that it was still full. He really wasn’t hungry, but he didn’t want to look ungrateful so he plastered a fake smile on his face and shook his head. 

Gabe and Helen had taken in him as if he was their own son. He had already moved from two other foster homes since social services came to their apartment, telling him that his mother was gone. Overdose, they told him. He didn’t want to believe it. He was suddenly ripped from the only place he knew as home and placed with Gabe and Helen two hours from the city. They were nice, but they weren’t his mom.

He took a bite of his dinner and grimaced as he swallowed, feeling like he was eating lead and he sighed.

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can eat anymore,” he apologized and watched as the adults looked at him with a questioning look in their eyes.

“Is it about your soulmate mark on your wrist?” Helen asked bluntly, but softly. “It looks brand new.” 

Philip shifted in his seat uncomfortably before nodding, knowing it was better for him to tell the truth with them than to lie. 

“I met him today,” he started, “and he ran away when he figured it out.” 

The adults made no comment about the pronouns he used. He had told them a week after he started staying with them, knowing it was just easier to let them know he was gay before they found out on their own. They accepted him and made no comments about him having to leave, so Philip knew he was safe.

But now he felt like the world was trying to swallow him whole and the mark burned, as if someone was placing it under hot water every 30 seconds. Philip read books when he was younger about the marks and knew that when your soulmate was feeling scared, it would feel this way. He was trying not to feel anxious about what Lukas was feeling or thinking, but he figured Lukas probably wanted nothing to do with him.

“He may be nervous,” Gabe suggested, offering an understanding smile. “He may not be out, even to himself.” 

Philip didn’t even think about that. He thought about meeting Lukas and the other boy gaping at him in the hallway, and then running away as if the shock of their connection made him realize he was gay.

“Yeah...maybe,” he conceded. 

But now how would he even be able to approach Lukas?

-

When Lukas walked the empty halls at the end of school the next day, he looked around anxiously seeing if he could spot Philip anywhere. He didn’t want to see Philip, but on the other hand he did and hoped that he was still in the school. The idea of seeing him gave him a stomach ache, but it was also a really good feeling that Lukas couldn’t even describe. But he didn’t want this. He wasn’t gay. He couldn’t be. He didn’t want to be. No one wanted him to be. 

He turned the corner near the boys bathroom and spotted Philip coming out, looking really good in his jeans. Why was he noticing these things? He couldn’t help but gravitate towards him, but he didn’t want this. He definitely didn’t want this.

He thought about his father and mother. How after his mother died, his father changed. He told Lukas that finding a soulmate was nearly impossible and you never know what might happen to them. The thought of his soulmate dying like how his mom did, did nothing to help Lukas. It just made him want to put the idea of having one the farthest out of his mind.

But now his soulmate was here. In his school. And was a guy. 

He had to get out of the hallway. Philip couldn’t see him. He didn’t want them to talk. He didn’t want to deal with feelings he didn’t understand. He was supposed to have a girlfriend who wasn’t his soulmate, become a professional in the motocross circuit and live a normal life. As normal as he could, without a tattoo on his wrist. The mark was cool to the touch, not at all irritating, but Lukas glared at it. 

His staredown with the soul mark didn’t last long because he never left the hallway, so Philip ended up standing right in front of him. 

“Lukas…” he started, trying but failing to start a conversation. 

Lukas bit his lip, wanting to leave the hallway but seemed to be frozen in his spot. 

Philip spoke before he could control himself, “I know who you are to me. I know you’re confused. You have every right to be. I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with and I know this is really new to you.” 

“Wait what?” The blonde asked confused. 

“We’re soulmates,” Philip stated bluntly. He knew he needed to get that out of the way before he could continue. “I know you probably want to ignore this fact and I’m alright with that. I understand why.” 

“I’m just…,” Lukas responded, not knowing what to say. “I’m not gay. I can’t be okay?” He was suddenly angry. 

Angry at the world for giving him this beautiful boy as his soulmate, but knowing that no one would accept it. His father would be furious, his friends would laugh. He couldn’t bare the thought. 

He just wanted the idea of soulmates to not exist anymore. Why does he need one? He didn’t need someone to be his other half for the rest of his life. 

“It’s okay. I get it,” Philip replied with a set smile appearing on his face. 

Lukas looked at him, not trusting himself to speak. Why wasn’t Philip pushing him to deal with the soul marks? 

He noticed Philip’s tattoo on his wrist. It was red and looked irritated, and he frowned.

“Hey, why does your soul mark look like it’s hurting you?” His worried tone made Philip half-smile at the concern.

“You never read about soul marks?” he questioned, and watched as Lukas shook his head. “When your soul mate is scared or angry, it burns.” 

“I’m hurting you?!” Lukas exclaimed, grabbing Philip’s arm and felt the shockwave of their souls intertwining. 

He didn’t want Philip to feel any pain. He realized that this boy in front of him was someone special. Someone he cared about and would soon grow to love. 

Philip watched, wincing as Lukas didn’t let go of his arm. He thought Lukas would run away again, but the taller boy stood there, gently caressing Philip’s arm. He felt the mark get cooler and stared wide-eyed at Lukas as the boy’s hand went to his face.

“Lukas...what are you doing?” he asked, looking nervously at the blonde. “You don’t have to do this.” 

“Yes I do.” Lukas stated, before grabbing Philip’s face with both hands and pressing their lips together. 

Philip fell against the locker, feeling Lukas’ lips against his and their tongues playing tonsil hockey. He felt a tug in his heart, something like an out of body experience that he didn’t want to end. 

Lukas suddenly stopped, slowly, still caressing his face as he pulled away.

“Wow.”

Philip huffed out a laugh. “You could say that again. What was that?” he asked in shock at Lukas’ actions. 

“I never believed in soulmates,” Lukas started, “My mom died when I was young and my dad pushed the idea in my head that having a soulmate and a good life was difficult and something out of reach. He made me think that something bad might happen to them. Well you, I guess.” He chuckled humorlessly.

Philip frowned and touched Lukas’ arm, slowly rubbing it up and down. “My mom told me that I would find the perfect soulmate. Someone who would love me and be my better half. She never had a soulmate and she was still taken away from me.”

Lukas gasped, “Is your mom...?” he couldn’t help but ask, “Never mind, forget I asked. It’s none of my business.” He silently cursed at himself. Philip didn’t need to tell him anything. 

“She died. About two months ago. Accidental overdose,” Philip shared, his voice going soft and his face somber. 

He smiled suddenly. “She used to tell me that whoever my soulmate was, that they’d love me for me and wouldn’t let anything get in the way. What she didn’t tell me was the shock you’d feel when you met them.”

Lukas let out a laugh before speaking. “She sounds amazing.” 

He suddenly felt the urge to kiss Philip again, but held back. He knew they needed to get home soon.

He grabbed Philip’s hand, to the surprise of the other boy and started pulling him towards the school’s exit. 

“Do you want to go to my dad’s cabin? I have a motorbike.” Lukas asked, unsure but also never feeling so alive at the thought of them together 

“I’ve never been on a motorbike before,” Philip admitted.

“It’s okay, I have a helmet. You just need to hold on,” he said, smiling as their arms touched and their soul marks rubbed against each other. 

The souls intertwined once more as they walked out of the building hand in hand, their faces full of smiles.


End file.
